Here is my husband's bread recipe, and my own, both tried and true!

NOTES: Don’t cut down on the salt; it helps regulate the action of the yeast and keeps the bread from tasting flat. If you want to cut down on salt, use low-salt spreads on the bread.

Also, don’t worry if it seem like I don’t use enough yeast in some recipes (and I just use regular granulated yeast, NOT instant, fast-rising, or Fermipan, please! “Instant” yeast have a tendency to raise the bread too fast and then it collapses in the oven, resulting in flat bread). I usually raise the dough 2-3 times (except for the gluten-free bread), which gives the dough time to “ripen” and develop enzymes which improve the flavor and texture of the bread.

BRIAN'S BREAD makes 4 large loaves

This is my husband’s recipe, our daily bread, and we love it. The sesame seeds at the bottom of the pan really make it delicious! It’s a crusty bread, too, and contains no sugar (yeast can feed off the starch in the flour).

5 c. very warm water
1 T. regular dry baking yeast
1/4 c. oil
2 T. salt
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. wheat bran
7 c. wholewheat flour (hard wheat flour)
about 4 c. unbleached white flour, or until the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl
raw hulled sesame seeds

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water for 5 minutes or so. Mix in a large bowl (or bowl of a heavy-duty mixer that can handle 4 loaves, like a Bosch) with the wholewheat flour, bran, oats, salt and oil. Mix briefly, then mix or knead in the unbleached flour.

Knead in heavy-duty bread machine or by hand 8-10 minutes. (If kneading by hand, use as little flour as possible. Use a little oil on your hands and the kneading surface, if necessary.) Transfer to a large oiled bowl, oil top, cover with plastic and let rise for about 1 and 1/2-2 hours. Punch down and let rise about another 1-1 and 1/2 hours. Shape into 4 even loaves and place in dark 8x4and1/2" loaf pans, bottoms sprinkled generously with raw hulled sesame seeds. Cover and let rise about 30-45 minutes, or til well-rounded over the tops of the pans.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Just before baking, slash the loaves in a cross with a razor blade and squirt loaves with water. Place the loaves in the middle of the oven. Bake 5 minutes, then turn heat down to about 350 degrees F and bake about 20-25 minutes (18 in a convection oven) more, or until loaves are golden brown and crusty. Remove from pans and cool on racks.

BRYANNA’S BASIC TENDER 100% WHOLEWHEAT BREAD 2 large loaves
(can be soy-free) NEW

3/4 c. very warm water or potato cooking water
1 T. sweetener of choice
1 tsp. yeast
2 c. warm water, potato cooking water, or soymilk
1 T. salt
2 T. oil
7 c. wholewheat flour
OPTIONAL:
1/3 c. potato flour or starch (you don’t need this if you use potato cooking water, but I like to add it if I use water or soymilk, as it makes a lighter, softer wholewheat bread)
up to 1/3 c. soy flour

Dissolve the yeast in the 3/4 c. warm liquid, along with the sweetener. When bubbly, mix with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl (or bowl of a heavy-duty mixer that can handle 4 loaves, like a Bosch), including about 4 c. of the flour. When that is well mixed, mix or knead in the remaining flour. Knead in heavy-duty bread machine or by hand 8-10 minutes. (If kneading by hand, use as little flour as possible. Use a little oil on your hands and the kneading surface, if necessary.) Transfer to a large oiled bowl, oil top, cover with plastic and let rise for about 1 and 1/2-2 hours. Punch down and let rise about another 1-1 and 1/2 hours. Shape into 2 even loaves and place in greased 9 x5 x 1/2" loaf pans. Cover and let rise about 30-45 minutes, or til well-rounded over the tops of the pans.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Just before baking, squirt loaves with water. (You can slash them with a razor blade if you like.) Place the loaves in the middle of the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden. Remove from pans immediately and cool on racks.

VARIATIONS:

SWEET BREAD DOUGH: use up to 1/2 c. sweetener of your choice and up to 1/2 c. oil or Earth Balance; use 2 T. yeast.

MULTI-GRAIN BREAD: You can use any other cereal, or wholegrain flour instead of up to 2 and 1/2 c. of the flour.

MAPLE AND OAT BREAD: Use 1/4 c. maple syrup for the sweetener, and up to 1/4 c. oil. Use 1/2 c. oat bran and 1 and 1/2 c. oatmeal in place of 2 c. wholewheat flour. You can make these into round loaves, if you like. Brush the loaves with Cornstarch Glaze before baking (see below), and sprinkle with this Topping: 1/2 T. poppy seeds, 1/2 T. sesame seeds, 1 T. rolled oats, 1 T. sunflower seeds.

NUT OR SEED BREAD: You can add about 1/2 c. seeds to the dough-- sunflower, ground flax, sesame, poppy, etc.-- or chopped nuts.

GLAZED BREAD: You can brush the top with this Starch Glaze for a shiny crust: In a small saucepan, mix 1/2 c. cold water with 1 tsp. corn or wheat starch (or other). Stir over high heat until thickened and clear. You can use this instead of an egg white glaze to stick things to the top of the loaf-- seeds, etc.

FOR AN INTERESTING SEED TOPPING, sprinkle the tops after glazing (glaze just before placing in oven) with a mixture of 2 T. EACH oatmeal and sunflower seeds, and 1 T. EACH poppy and sesame seeds.

OTHER IDEAS: Use some juice, tofu whey or broth in place of water. Soymilk will make a tender, but more expensive bread. You can add up to 2 c. dried fruit. You can add spices, herbs, sauteed garlic and onions, whatever else sounds interesting.